OpenAI told a U.S. federal court that Elon Musk approached Meta Platforms Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg earlier this year to help finance a $97.4 billion offer for the ChatGPT maker. The disclosure was made in a filing on 22 Aug. in the Northern District of California, where the two sides are locked in litigation over OpenAI’s move to adopt a conventional for-profit structure. According to the documents, Musk and his AI start-up xAI sent Zuckerberg a letter of intent in February outlining potential investment or financing arrangements. Neither Zuckerberg nor Meta ultimately signed the letter, and OpenAI’s board rejected the bid the same month, the filing says. OpenAI is asking the judge to order Meta to hand over internal communications about any talks with Musk and about possible recapitalisation of the company, arguing the information could clarify the motive behind the bid. Meta, which is building its own generative-AI products, has urged the court to deny the request, saying OpenAI should seek the material directly from Musk and xAI. The subpoena fight is the latest turn in a broader dispute that began when Musk, who co-founded OpenAI in 2015 and left three years later, sued the organisation for alleged mission drift. OpenAI countersued in April, accusing Musk of waging a "sham bid" and media campaign to undermine the company. A jury trial is scheduled for spring 2026.